Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park
| Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park | |
| New Mexico State Park | |
 The Peace and Brotherhood Chapel at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park
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| Country | United States |
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| State | New Mexico |
| County | Colfax |
| Location | Angel Fire |
| - elevation | 8,500 ft (2,591 m) |
| - coordinates | 36°26′27″N 105°17′40″W / 36.44083°N 105.29444°WCoordinates: 36°26′27″N 105°17′40″W / 36.44083°N 105.29444°W |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Management | New Mexico State Parks Division |
 Location of Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park in New Mexico
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Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park was the first major Vietnam memorial in the United States. It is currently the only state park dedicated exclusively to veterans of the Vietnam War. It is located off United States Highway 64 in Angel Fire (Colfax County) in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway of northeastern New Mexico.
The memorial was begun by Victor and Jeanne Westphall, the grief-stricken parents of Marine First Lieutenant David Westphall, who was among sixteen young men in his unit killed in an ambush on May 22, 1968 in Vietnam. The Westphalls used their son's insurance policies to begin construction of the Peace and Brotherhood Chapel. The chapel resembles a sail and perches on the hillside overlooking the Moreno Valley. The chapel is open twenty-four hours per day. The David Westphall Veterans Foundation has since supported the operation of the memorial, which was dedicated on the anniversary of David's death in 1971. At the time of its construction, the site received national media attention and helped inspire the establishment of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., completed in 1982. In 1987, the United States Congress recognized Angel Fire as a memorial of national significance.
The park hosts thousands of annual visitors, many moved emotionally by the sacrifice of the Vietnam veterans. In 2005, the site became New Mexico's 33rd state park. It is operated in partnership with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park Friends Group and the David Westphall Veterans Foundation, which allows it to be the only New Mexico State Park that does not charge a fee. These groups also fund the exhibits and museum supplies.
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